Mapping Networks With Netstumbler

I thought I'd write about my experiences with wardriving and mapping the results, and see if anyone else has come up with a similar or better way of doing it.

As part of some University research I am doing, I regularly do wardriving and logging of 802.11b networks with Netstumbler. I wanted to be able to plot the access points on a map, but couldn't find a suitable software package until another student suggested Tumonz. (http://www.tumonz.co.nz/ )

Well, it's fantastic and has the level of detail I need right down to individual streets. Being vector graphics, the detail is excellent when you zoom in.

However, one shortcoming I found is that Tumonz has no open or save feature (that I have found anyway). This means, to get the Netstumbler log file into Tumonz is a little convoluted, but it does work.

You need to have a GPS (I've only tried a Garmin) to log the Latitude and Longitude of the access points.

Here's what I do:
1> Export the Netstumbler file in Summary format.
2> Use mapsstumbler (free to download) to convert the ns1 file to a wpt file.
3> Import the wpt file into Garmin Mapsource World. (may work with others) Mapsource include NZ, but is high level and doesn't show the streets.

The nice thing about the conversion is that it distinguishes between encrypted and unencrypted on the waypoint plot.

4> Now that you have the waypoints in Mapsource, upload them into the GPS. (The GPS won't log the waypoints as you find the access points)
5> Download the GPS waypoints into Tumonz. You need a Garmin or Magellan GPS for this. Infortunately, it doesn't keep the encrypted / unencrypted information.

The access points will now be plotted on a New Zealand map at a street level. Good stuff, but saving the files seperately in Tumonz is another bit of trickery.

As I said above, saving the files seperately is a bit difficult. The problem is that when you download the GPS points into Tumonz, it automatically saves them on the map. This creates a problem if you do another wardrive and don't want them all mixed together. If they are, you can't distinguish which ones were picked up on the first wardrive, and which on subsequent wardives.

Here's how I got around it.
1> When you install Tumonz, you will see that there is a Tumonz.fad file in the target directory. This is the file that keeps the GPS points in it.
2> Make a copy of Tumonz.fad when there are no GPS points plotted.
3> Download the GPS waypoints from the GPS.
4> Save the Tumonz.fad file somewhere safe with those points in it.
5> Replace the Tumonz.fad file in the target directory with the empty Tumonz.fad file.
6> Dowload the new GPS points.
7> Save the Tumonz.fad file again in a safe location.
8> Now you can put whichever Tumonz.fad file you want into the target directory and run Tumonz to view the access point plots.

It's a bit of a hassle but it does work.

If you're interested, here are the result for Auckland. I drove around the same main streets around Auckland and Newmarket each wardrive, for about an hour so there would be many times this number if all streets were covered and all access points could be picked up. It's intended as a sample set only.

October 2003 - 92, 29 using WEP or WPA.
April 2004 - 242, 114 using WEP or WPA.

Netstumbler logs WEP and WPA as WEP, so it really tells you whether 802.11 standards based encryption is being used, even though it calls both of them WEP on the log file.

Nice work, keep it up. I know I have been struggling to find a good solution to get all the Ap's logged that i find when driving around. Infact I have gone off the idea of driving around much any more because of no real good solution of mapping it all out. Seems like a waste of petrol and effort unless you can use it later. This seems to be a way out of that hole. Will look into it again.

Cheers,


Wookie

You guys looked at www.wigle.net??

Has a (basic) Windows mapping client app that reads netstumber files.

Search the forums for more info. I have a very high res Auckland City and
CBD map pack if it is of interest. Other Citys can be made by arrangement.

__________________
Steve M
Bigted
Cute, Furry and Cuddly

Made by arrangement? I'm from Wellington/Hutt Valley and I'm listening...

Whetu,
I'll see what I can do..............

Might have to do two seperate maps for the Hutt and the City.

__________________
Steve M
Bigted
Cute, Furry and Cuddly

wifiguy,
if you want, I will try and drag out the log files from my war drive a couple of months ago - you could collate my results with yours if you wish

Cheers

John